Danny Tozer has a problem: she just inherited the powers of the world’s greatest superhero. Until Dreadnought fell out of the sky and died right in front of her, she was trying to keep people from finding out she’s transgender. But then her second-hand superpowers transformed her body into what she’s always thought it should be. Now there’s no hiding that she’s a girl.

It should be the happiest time of her life, but between her father’s dangerous obsession with curing her girlhood, her best friend suddenly acting like he’s entitled to date her, and the classmate who is secretly a masked vigilante, Danny’s first weeks living in a body that fits her are more difficult and complicated than she could have imagined.

She doesn’t have much time to adjust. Dreadnought’s murderer, a cyborg named Utopia, still haunts the streets of New Port City. If Danny can’t sort through the confusion of coming out, master her powers, and stop Utopia in time, humanity faces extinction. (Goodreads)

April Daniels’ debut novel, Dreadnought, was published in January 2017 by Diversion Publishing. Think superheroes, trans-representation and all-round awesomeness. This has immediately flown onto my all-time favourites list, and I will be reading this again and again.

I obviously gave this one 5 stars. From chapter one I was intrigued, and this book had one of THE BEST opening chapters that I’ve ever read. Straightaway Danny has a unique voice, I felt connected to her, and there was so much action. You’re thrown straight into this superhero world, but not once did I feel lost or confused.

The background info about Danny, Dreadnought, and the world in general, really helped me to feel immersed in this world, and I loved it so much. Whilst this novel is incredibly fun, its also an own voices trans novel, which is fantastic. Through this book difficult topics are explored, such as family problems and the difficulty with transitioning, and it was done in a great way (NB: some trans people have felt affected by slurs that are used in this book, so please be aware of this). It gave me an interesting perspective on how differently trans people are treated, especially after transitioning, including how their friends and family respond.

Danny is a fantastic, kick-ass, relatable character, with fears and insecurities, and despite having superhero powers she felt incredibly real. I loved reading from Danny’s perspective and seeing her grow. The ending of this novel was just as strong as the beginning, and it was amazing from cover to cover. A new favourite.

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.

Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating—yet irresistible—Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her—and from the icy young man she has come to love. (Goodreads)

Published in January 2017 by Hodder & Stoughton, Frostblood is a fantasy story following Ruby, a strong-willed, independent girl with a unique power to wield frost and snow. In a world where Firebloods rule, her power can only get her into trouble.

I gave this novel 2.5 stars. I adored the writing style and pacing from page one, but the plot took about a third of the novel to pick up. The beginning, whilst slow, did give great background info about Ruby and the world she lives in.

The plot twists throughout really didn’t surprise me, and the entire story felt familiar (think Red Queen). Ruby felt bland as a character to me, and I really struggled to connect with her.

Overall, whilst I didn’t love this novel, it was still a solid fantasy story involving powers, royalty and fighting, so if that’s your ‘thing’ then this might be a worthwhile read for you.

Published in December by Harmony Ink Press, Thanks A Lot, John LeClair is a YA contemporary with a focus on hockey, family, and coming out. Johanna Parkhurst explores themes of sexuality, sport, family and finding yourself in this super cute, yet super important novel.

A quick read, I gave this one 3 stars. It took me a bit to become invested in the story and its characters, but thanks to the interspersed letters, I soon loved Emmitt and Dusty as the main characters. These letters definitely helped me to understand Emmitt and his family, and whilst they did tend to interrupt the flow of the novel, I really enjoyed reading them.

This book follows Emmitt as he tries to discover what he wants in life. A skilled ice hockey player, he is concerned that coming out as gay might affect his future career. As the story progresses we see a change in Emmitt’s attitude, and I felt that his character development was really good.

Keeping it short and sweet, but this book is definitely a great read for anyone with an interest in sport, diverse reads, or super cute boys in love.

NB: I was sent a copy for review by the publisher, but this in no way impacted my opinion. All thoughts are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

Orion is a Subpar, expected to mine the tunnels of Outpost Five, near the

deadly flash curtain. For generations, her people have chased cirium

—the only element that can shield humanity from the curtain’s radioactive particles.

She and her caving partner, Dram work the most treacherous tunnel, fighting

past flash bats and tunnel gulls, in hopes of mining enough cirium to earn their

way into the protected city.

But when newcomers arrive at Outpost Five, Orion uncovers disturbing

revelations that make her question everything she thought she knew about life

on both sides of the cirium shield. As conditions at the outpost grow

increasingly dangerous, it’s up to Orion to forge a way past the flashfall,

beyond all boundaries, beyond the world as she knows it.

My Spoiler Free Thoughts:

First of all, this book was incredibly captivating from page one, and not once did I WANT to put the book down (but alas, exams were calling…). This sci-fi dystopian is fast-paced, with a fantastic protagonist who I found incredibly relatable, accompanied by a wide cast of side characters.

The world-building was detailed and really enhanced my reading experience, and I loved meeting (and cringing away from) all of the unique creatures that we see in the Flashfall world.

I felt really attached to the main character, Orion, from the very beginning, and my love for her only grew….Also..Damn, Dram!! I loved these two characters so much, and was constantly concerned for them.

I wanted to keep this super short and sweet, but for the love of god, if you enjoy either sci-fi or dystopian novels, pick this one up, stat. FOUR STARS